Summer Shadows
by Satiah
Summary: Both boys laugh happily in the summer sun as Suzaku races forward and Lelouch lags behind. But in the shadows of the future, childhood innocence will slowly slip away.


Code Geass (c) Sunrise

...

He crouches down low, hiding himself behind a wild tangle of grass as he waits patiently for his prey to approach. A startled frog hops quickly beneath a leaf, but the boy pays it no mind. His nose itches some, so he carefully scratches it, mindful to not disturb the cattails keeping him out of sight. He's careful to keep his location secret, at least for a little while longer.

He doesn't have long to wait. Soon he hears the footsteps of his prey, plodding slowly up the little hill, traveling along a stone-paved path across the field. Unaware of Suzaku's hiding place, the other boy stands on his tip-toes, trying to find where his playmate has so suddenly gone. But he sees no one, and even when the cattails move beside him, startling him, it's only a bird. Suzaku is nowhere in sight.

Defeated, Lelouch sits on the cold ground, trying to regain his breath. He's tired, and just a little sore, but mostly he's annoyed. Annoyed that Suzaku has run off _again_ without him, leaving him all alone in this big, grassy field. The game isn't much fun anymore. Lelouch knows Suzaku is most probably waiting at home for him to come trudging up the long pathway which cuts through the Kururugi's picturesque Japanese gardens. He'll be waiting beside the koi pond, swinging his legs above the shallow water, with a huge, triumphant grin planted on his lightly tanned face.

"Beat you here," he'll say.

"Yeah," Lelouch will reply.

With a soft sigh and a hint of a pout, Lelouch picks his tired body off the ground, dusts himself off, and turns around, slowly beginning his long trek back to the Kururugi Shrine, certain he'll find Suzaku there. He's taken no more than two steps before the grass to his left shudders violently. He stops dead in his tracks as something brown races toward his feet. With a startled cry, Lelouch quickly steps back, slipping on a rock, and falls to the ground as the hurtling object races once more into the grass, this time on the other side of the path.

It's only a rabbit.

Lelouch groans as he once more stands and dusts off his bruised behind. He fails to hear the barely-contained giggle off to his right. Once satisfied of his relative cleanliness, Lelouch starts down the path that leads him home, this time watching for critters wanting to cross in front of him.

Lelouch's breathing is loud, but the crickets are louder. Suzaku can still pin-point his friend by sound alone, but with the hot summer's daylight bright about their little bodies, he doesn't need to rely on his ears. Lelouch never could blend in with his surroundings. That doesn't make any sense to Suzaku; _he_ is the one with the pink and yellow shirt.

But, patiently steady, he waits for Lelouch to pass in front of his hiding place. It doesn't take long before his prey is squarely in place, with Suzaku crouching down low, preparing to strike. And strike he does.

Once more, the grass near Lelouch twitches, and he stiffens, but it's no little bunny flying at him this time. Something larger, _faster!—_

And suddenly, Lelouch is flat on his back, Suzaku desperately trying to wrench the Sakuradite bomb off his chest, yelling, screaming betrayal and wretchedness. He snarls, both struggle, but it's Suzaku who wins—Suzaku _always_ wins—and now they're angry, frightened, hurt, betrayed—

Their guns fly out, jumping into ready, sweating hands, hurriedly pointing at the other, each furious to get the first shot. Blood pounds, hearts race, sweat rolls, Kallen screams, and bullets explode.

And suddenly, Lelouch is flat on his back, Suzaku desperately trying to tickle him until he begs for mercy, laughing, smiling, full of happy tears and summer warmth. He giggles, both wrestle, but it's Suzaku who wins—Suzaku _always_ wins—and now he's pinned, laughing, gasping, grinning—

Playing with his best friend, his only true friend, blissfully unaware of the horrors of his future as the summer sun warms them and they tumble through the field, laughing, racing back to the Kururugi Shrine, hoping desperately that it'll be something extra-tasty for dinner tonight because they're both so hungry.

And as the sun sets, darkness falls on two best friends, creating intricate shadows too deep for either to clearly see through to the other's smiling face. The shadows are deep enough to blind them, completely obscuring and distorting the truth, leaving each with only a memory of the happiness that was once always there. In the shadows of the future, childhood innocence will slowly slip away. But for now, for two little boys, the world remains absolutely perfect.


End file.
